Guyana Times Sunday Magazine

Sunday February 19, 2017

Times

Star Times Bollywood:

Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra stun at New York Fashion Week See story on page 14

Magazine Finding FREE DISTRIBUTION

art in everyday Page 16 life Black History Month

Remembering Bob Marley Page 2

The stinking toe tree Providing a smelly treat that may be good for you Page 4

Manicure and pedicure safety

Page 9

An ancient craft continues in the Page 5 crochetwork of Colita IshmileMohamed

2 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Times Feature

Black HISTORY Month

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Working on the “Survival” album in 1979.

Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994

here are perhaps very few persons who do not know of Bob Marley, considered one of the greatest singer/songwriters in the world today; a world that commemorated his 71st birth anniversary on February 6.

Born Bob Nesta Marley in 1945, he would grow up to become an icon to many.

But before this recognition he would endure the tough life of poverty in post-World WarII Jamaica, where the very streets would help create the legend today.

As a young boy in the mountainous rural community of Nine Miles, where he was born, he was nurtured among those who proudly preserved their African heritage, particularly in the art of storytelling. This provided young Bob Marley with a culture beyond the official textbook history of his people, that became the root and heart of his later music.

Growing into his teen years, he moved to Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica, settling in the squatter settlement of Trench Town in the west of the city, so called because it was built over a sewage trench.

The streets of Trench Town were tough, filled with gangs and other unsavoury characters, all involved in many unsavoury activities, but Bob Marley learned to be even tougher and his street-fighting skills soon earned him the nickname Tuff Gong among the ghetto’s residents.

But like Nine Miles, the community retained a strong sense of culture, and it was here that his musical talents were nurtured.

By the 1960s, as the island saw the beginning of its music scene, a unique form of music developed called ska.Considered the

Jamaican interpretation of American soul and R&B, it quickly became a popular and influential music form among the poor. With the rapid development of the island’s music industry, many ghetto youths saw music as a way out of poverty.

Bob Marley was one of those youths but his mother, worried about the transience of a music career, encouraged him to learn a trade. When he left school at

age 14 she found him a job as a welder’s apprentice and though he went to work, it was with much reluctance.

However, when a tiny steel splinter went into his eye while welding one day, he immediately quit and turned his attention to his musical pursuits.

Two years later he met other then aspiring singers like himself: Desmond Dekker who later topped the UK music charts with his song “Israelites”, and Jimmy Cliff who at 14 already had a few hit songs.

In 1962 Cliff introduced Marley to music producer Leslie Kong, and Marley cut “Judge Not”, “Terror” and “One More Cup of Coffee”, his first songs with Kong.

They did not connect with the public however.

But in 1963 the Wailing Wailers was born, comprising Marley’s childhood friend Neville Livingston a.k.a. Bunny Wailer and Peter (Macintosh) Tosh. It was aided by Trench Town resident Joe Higgs, who had mentored many youths on rhythm, harmony and melody.

The other Wailing Wailers members included Junior Braithwaite, Beverly Kelso, and Cherry Smith but they left the group after a few recording sessions.

The remaining members were introduced to a new music producer, Clement

Sir Coxsone Dodd founder of Jamaican music label Studio One, under whose direction the Wailers found themselves a considerable following on the local music scene.

The Wailers’ first single for Studio One was “Simmer Down”. The song reportedly sold more than 80,000 copies. Under Dodd, The Wailers recorded several hits including “Rude Boy”, “I’m Still Waiting,” and an early version of “One Love”.

Ska soon gave way to what would become Jamaica’s signature reggae style. Coxone Dodd however, resisted the change then and, with declining sales and inadequate compensation, the group left Studio One. Marley would also leave Jamaica after his mother migrated to Delaware, USA in 1966; the same year he married Rita Anderson.

Marley spent a few months in Delaware with his mother, working as a lab assistant and at a vehicle assembly plant.

It was during his absence that His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, revered among Rastafarians, visited the island from April 21-24, 1966. It has a profound impact on the Marleys and soon they both embraced Rastafarianism.

In 1972, a chance meet-

Playing football in Brazil. In 2001 he was bestowed The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award

July 18, 1975 at Lyceum, London. In December 1999 “Exodus” was named Album of the Century by Time Magazine and his song “One Love” was designated Song of the Millennium by the BBC

ing with Island Records in London where The Wailers were promoting their single “Reggae On Broadway”, led to label founder Chris Blackwell advancing the group the then princely sum of £4000 to create an album.

Their “Catch A Fire” album was presented in April 1973,and Bob Marley’s road to stardom began. The Wailers recorded their second album for Island Records, “Burnin”, in October 1973. “Burnin” is said to have introduced the timeless anthem “Get Up Stand Up” and “I Shot the Sheriff”.

But a year later Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh left the group and Marley’s third album for Island Records “Natty Dread”, released in October 1975, was the first credited to Bob Marley and The Wailers, which included their replacements.

Bob’s fourth album release for Island, Records “Bob Marley and the Wailers Live”, featured another version of “No Woman No Cry” that reached the UK top 40.

According to the official Bob Marley website, Bob Marley catapulted to international stardom in 1976 with the release of “Rastaman Vibration”, his only album to reach the Billboard Top 200, peaking at no. 8. The album included one of his most recognisable hits, “War”.

Now considered a universal symbol of reggae, in his home island of Jamaica Marley became however a victim of bitter political divide due to his lyrics; two days before a goodwill concert he and his entourage survived an assassination attempt while rehearsing at

his Kingston residence.

Although he continued with the concert, he later went into seclusion, with only a select few knowing his whereabouts. He moved to London for the next year and a half, where he recorded the albums “Exodus” (1977) and “Kaya” (1978).“Jamming”, from the “Exodus” album, became a British top 10 hit. Kaya hit number 4, aided by “Is This Love?”.

The release of “Kaya” coincided with Bob Marley’s return to Jamaica for a performance at the One Love Peace Concert, held April 22, 1978 at Kingston’s National Stadium to help end the political strife on the island.

On June 6, 1978 Marley received the United Nation’s Medal of Peace in recognition of his efforts to encourage political peace in Jamaica.

At the end of 1978, Marley was in Africa where he also visited Ethiopia, considered the spiritual birthplace of Rastafarianism.

In 1979 he released “Survival”, his ninth album for Island and what would become his final album in his lifetime, “Uprising”.

Bob Marley died of cancer on May 11, 1981 in Miami USA, four years after discovering that it had taken root in his big toe in 1977, following a football injury.

He was given a state funeral in Jamaica ten days later and entombed in a mausoleum at his birthplace, Nine Miles. One month later he was awarded Jamaica’s third highest honour, the Order of Merit, for his outstanding contribution to his country’s culture.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

3

Times Feature

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What’s in a name? A lot of history

nowing your past helps to shape your present, and learning about your own history is a major part of understanding who you are.

The book “Cane Reapers – Chinese Indentured Immigrants in Guyana”

by Trev Sue-A-Quan helps Chinese families in Guyana trace their ancestry to the original batch of indentured immigrants during the period of 1853 to 1879.

The book lists the names of some of the original immigrants and their descendants who are known at the time of the printing of the book (2003). The spellings of the names are those that have become the more generally acknowledged versions, although variations in spelling do exist.

Aaron- This immigrant of the Li family (pronounced "lie") was given the personal name Aaron, which then became the Chinese surname Li. Benjamin - This sur-

son with this surname, Paul Chan-A-Sue, who emigrated from China and became a catechist at St. Saviour's Church in Georgetown.

Cheong - This surname is also spelled Chung and Cheung, equivalent to the Mandarin Zhang. One Cheong family comes from Cheong A-hoi who was also known as Matthew Murray Cheong.

Choy- This Cantonese name is the same as the Mandarin name Cai (pronounced "ts-eye"). However, one family derives its surname from the personal name of the immigrant Chin Choy.

Chu - Also written Choo, this name is equivalent in Mandarin to either Zhu (pronounced "Jew")or Chu. Chu-A-Kong- Most likely originating from the immigrant Chu A-Kong. Many descendants have changed to the surname Kong.

Ewing-Chow - Born in Shun-tak, Guangdong province, Chau Luk-wu is re-

Chinese meeting house, Peter's Hall, British Guiana (www.discoveringbristol.org

name comes from Wong-AWa, who became William Benjamin Wong-A-Wa and then William Benjamin. He was a catechist in Berbice.

Chan - The surname Chan is the Cantonese for the second most commonly occurring surname, which in Mandarin is Chen. Other spellings for the same clan name are Chang, Cheung and Chin. Among those maintaining the original Chinese surname Chan are the descendants of Chan Qui and Chan Moon, who was an immigrant aboard the Agra in 1862.

Chan-A-Sue- The family name is believed to be derived from the immigrant Chan A-sue who became a shopkeeper and liquor shop owner in Essequibo.

He married Maria Wong, who was also born in China, and their descendants carry the surname Chan-A-Sue. There is an unrelated per-

ported in Cecil Clementi's book to have travelled with his wife Mack Shee on The Dora, which docked in Georgetown in April 1860. They were assigned to Plantation Peter's Hall, some seven miles from Georgetown.

However, all the immigrants on the Dora were allotted to plantations in Berbice. Archival records show that Chau Luk-wu was an immigrant on the Red Riding Hood in 1860 and arrived five days after the Dora. Mack Shee was the former wife of Chan A-sy, and the couple was aboard the Ganges in 1863.

Chan A-sy and Mack Shee had a daughter before Mack Shee married Chau Lukwu. Chau worked in the fields while his wife was later able to earn a bit extra as an herbalist and acupuncturist by providing medical services to the Chinese

workers, although payment usually came in the form of garden vegetables, eggs and chickens.

About 1876, Chau took ill and a year later he died leaving Mack Shee with a daughter of 12 and a son, Chow Loi, who was nine years old. Mack Shee felt that her son was old enough to become a wage earner. The young lad was bright and keen at sports.

He was encouraged to pursue his studies after he finished working at the nearby Chinese shop, where his ability in English and Chinese was very useful. Chow Loi embraced Christianity, and when he was baptized he took the name David Johnstone Ewing-Chow.

David became an entrepreneur, tailor and shopkeeper. He married Emily Leung and the surname Ewing-Chow was carried on by their 11 children, although some later descendants have reverted to the original Chinese surname Chow.

David's elder sister married Wong T’in, who was also known by the surname Kam, and bore three children taking the Kam name. After his death, David’s sister married Samuel Low and had three daughters.

Foo: This surname can be derived from different Chinese written characters that have Fu as the Mandarin equivalent. Some people with the Foo surname are descended from Tong Foo. Fung: There are several families with the surname Fung: The Cantonese version of the Mandarin surname Feng, which is among the top 50 Chinese surnames. Among those bearing this surname are the descendants of Fung A-Pan, an immigrant on the Whirlwind in 1860, and Fung A-Man, who arrived on The Arima in 1865.

There are also other Fung families whose surname is equivalent to the Mandarin name Hung which in Hakka dialect is pronounced Fung.

Fung-A-Fat: The family traces its ancestry to the Hung clan, this surname being made famous by the exploits of Hung Hsiuch’uan, Heavenly King of the Taiping Rebellion. The Hakka pronunciation of Hung is Fung and thereby generated the inscription Fung for the family. One of the immigrants to British Guiana was Hung Kung-

Loo Shee, aged 80 in photo, also known as Rebecca Lee-A-Tak was one of the non-indentured immigrants fleeing from the internecine Tai P’ing rebellion

fat, a passenger on the Dartmouth in 1879, whose name was transformed into Fung-A-Fatt and from whom the family name is derived. Most of the descendants are now known by the simpler spelling Fung-AFat and some others have resumed the use of the root Hakka surname Fung.

Ho-A-Lim - Family accounts say that Ho A-Lim and his brother were out for a stroll in their native village of Pok Loh when they were kidnapped andshipped to British Guiana aboard The General Wyndham in 1859. Ho A-Lim survived the journey, but his brother

was taken off when the boat docked at a refuelling port in the Strait of Malacca (the shortest waterway which connects the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean). Known as Thomas Ho-A-Lim, he had 12 children, one of whom is understood to be Ho Sing Loy. Ho-A-Shoo - This surname is sometimes written as Ho-A-Shu. One family is believed to originate from Ho A-shoo and his descendants became established in Bagotville, West Bank Demerara. The other is derived from Ho Shau who was born in San Wui

in Guangdong Province and migrated to British Guiana in 1874 on the Corona. His name became John HoA-Shoo and he gained his wealth through shops he opened in the remote gold and diamond fields. He married Marie Wong Fungkiu, daughter of his business partner Wong A-yong, and they had eight children who took the surname HoA-Shoo.

Lam - Lam is also written as Len, Lim, Lin and Lum and is the equivalent of Lin in Mandarin. Among the ancestors of Lam families are Lam-A-Poo (The Pride of the Ganges, 1866), Lam A-tung (The Minerva, 1860), Lam A-yow (The Minerva, 1860) and Lum Cha (The Mystery, 1861).

Lee - The Lee clan name is spelled Li in Mandarin.

The descendants of LeeA-Choi (The Saldanha, 1861), Lee Lam-cha (The Montmorency, 1861) and Li-A-Tak, also written LeeA-Tak, (Agra, 1862) are among those who carry the Lee surname.

Leung - Leung is the Cantonese equivalent of Liang in Mandarin. One of the Leung clan immigrants TheThomas arrived on Mitchell in 1860. He became known as Simon Leung and worked as an interpreter for the Immigration Office until his death in 1906. He married Mary Gemon and had 16 children, most of whomigrated to Panama when excavation of the canal began.

To read about other Chinese surnames not mentioned in this article, visit the National Library and ask for “Cane Reapers – Chinese Indentured Immigrants in Guyana” by Trev Sue-A-Quan, the helpful staff there will be happy to assist you.

A Chinese immigrant's view (illustrated) of exploitation on a sugar estate

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Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Times Feature

The stinking toe tree

Stinking toe fruit pods on the tree

Providing a smelly treat that may be good for you

H

ow does a tree get a name like “stinkin’ toe”? When its ripe fruit looks like a big broad toe and smells like a very stink toe.

As for its taste – well, for many that’s a matter of personal choice. It is however, said to be sweet once you can get past its smell and its powdery, pasty texture. A few persons have been known to find the smell not unpleasant though. Interestingly, it is only when the fruit is rotten that it has no smell.

Known by its trade name, West Indian locust tree, it is among the tallest trees in its distribution zone, which ranges across Central America, the Caribbean and most of South America. The tree can grow from 30 - 50 m (98 -164 ft.) tall.

With such a wide distribution, it has many names in its many geographical regions. Its scientific name is Hymenaea courbaril, but in Brazil its known as jatobá, in Peru it’s called guapinol, while in Haiti it is called koubari . In the English Caribbean it is also called “stinktoe”, “old man’s toe”, “Brazilian cherry”, “demerara copal” and “kerosene tree”, among several other names.

Guyanese know it as “stinktoe”, “stinkin’ toe” or stinky toe” and it was traditionally an easy “fruit snack” when outdoors, especially for children. It grows not only in the rainforest where it is one of the dominant canopy trees, but along the Guyana coast as well, though some believe that it is rare along the latter these days.

The wood from the tree is called locust and is used in carpentry. A hardwood, it is used in making furniture and flooring, and is also used for cabinetry, posts, making musical instruments, and in ship-

namental tree in parks and gardens, such as our Botanical Gardens, and is enjoyed for its shady canopy from the hot tropical sun.

The pod is also used by artists who would sand the pod and draw or paint on it; artisans would make jewellery with the seeds.

Additionally, some persons would make stinking toe ice cream, cocktail or juice.

Here is a stinktoe juice recipe called “‘Stinking toe’ Refresher” if you’re willing to try it out – providing you can find a tree:

Distribution zone of Hymenaea courbaril

building, among others.

It is said that early indigenous people made their boats or dugouts from the bark of the locust tree.

According to the Guyana Forestry Commission, commercial uses of the Hymenaea courbaril include shipbuilding, general construction, carriage buildings, tool handles,furniture and croquet mallets. It plays a considerable role in the industry’s revenues as it is one of the most extracted trees in its class.

The fruit of the tree is considered part of local folk medicine in many countries. In Jamaica it is said to relieve rheumatism and headaches; in Panama and Costa Rica it is believed to be an aphrodisiac for men. It is also widely used in Central America among athletes and bodybuilders as it is felt that along with supplements, it improves individual performance.

Research has shown that the fruit is rich in iron and calcium, is also a rich source of energy and has “considerable reserves” of

Vitamin A. However, little study has been done on its other claims, which include its ability to reduce appetite for weight loss, or its ability to increase lactation/milk production among expectant and nursing mothers.

It’s not just the fruit and hardwood that are used however. The youngest leaves are claimed to be a folk remedy for coughs, sore throat, asthma and bronchitis.The tree’s roasted flowers are used to alleviate burn stomach and gastritis. The flowers are considered to have diuretic, emollient and anti-spasmodic properties. Crushed flowers are used to help heal burn wounds.

In Brazil the sap is used for coughs and bronchitis while the leaves and bark are used to treat diabetes, and the fruit for mouth ulcers. According to researchers, stinking toe bark tea is a popular drink forloggers working in the Brazilian rainforests, because it is a natural energy tonic.

In the Amazon region where it grows,researchers say that it has been used

for centuries as a tonic for the respiratory and urinary systems of the indigenous inhabitants. The ancient Mayas and Aztecs are thought to have used the tree for incense at purification and religious ceremonies. It is also known today for its ability to fight fun-

gus and yeast infections.

Animals of the rainforest such as monkeys, agoutis and labbas also eat the fruit of the seedpod, playing an important role in dispersing the seeds.

Along with its traditional medicinal uses, the tree is also used as an or-

Ingredients 2-3 stinking toes (shelled, pulp only) Half gallon cane juice 1 teaspoon of nutmeg or spice of choice 1 quart spring water Juice of 1 lime (optional) Directions Blend stinking toes with spring water and cane juice. Add nutmeg or spice of choice and blend briefly.

Serve chilled.

The flesh of the stinking toe fruit,and its pod

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 5

Times Women

An ancient craft continues in the crochetwork of Colita Ishmile-Mohamed

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Pretty headbands with crochet roses

alancing a thriving business, fulltime job and family life can seem impossible, but Colita Ishmile-Mohamed’s determination propels her to juggle all these and more.

Colita is a wife, mother of a two-year-old son, and an entrepreneur who works fulltime as a senior accounts clerk at the Environmental Protection Agency. Much of her leisure time and late hours are spent designing beautiful crochet pieces under her label, CIM Exotic Designs.

In an interview with

Sunday Times Magazine, Colita recalled she was “attracted” to crochet when she was just 12 years old, after seeing a woman selling crocheted baby items within the community. She attended a training class for two weeks during that ‘summer’ break, where the basis of crochet was taught.

In 2003, she ventured off to high school and graduated in 2008.

In 2012, Colita started creating crochet pieces and later launched a page on Facebook, while pursuing studies in accounting

Fashionable handbags

and business management.

However, she officially started her business in October 2016 when she participated in Curlfest Guyana, held on October 9, 2016 at the Promenade Garden, Georgetown.

“It was my very first exhibition and the responses were positive, but I realized that there was a dire need for awareness, as many expressed their surprise to see crochet at my level,” she expressed.

Consequently, she showcased her fashionable creations at the Exquisitely

CIM Exotic Designs' display at Curlfest Guyana

Handcrafted crochet bag displaying the colours of Guyana's flag

Handmade Craft show at St. Stanislaus Gardens on Carifesta Ave., Georgetown, on Nov. 26, 2016 and continues to seize opportunities to promote her business.

For 2017, she plans on participating in the Business Expo by the Sonia Noel Foundation for Creative Arts.

In the few years of doing what she enjoys, Colita is now skilled in crocheting innovative pieces of women clothing, bags, accessories and more, creating a booming market for her business.

“My major motivation to crochet is my love for the craft and the feeling of pride and satisfaction at the finished product.I was taught the basic skills of crocheting when I was 12, but later taught myself by utilizing resources online to develop new designs,” she noted.

Colita said she loves creating bags and floral pieces, such as headbands and other accessories, while “constantly developing” her craft by researching modern stitches, which helpsher to create contemporary items to meet her clientele’s needs.

The designer endures challenges being an entrepreneur of a solely handmade businessby “putting in the extra work” and “spending time with supportive

Colita spends her 'leisure time' expanding her business

friendsand those who have businesses and similar challenges”.

Juggling multiple roles, Colita pointed out she creates a balance by “attending to the needs of the one that requires it most at the moment and then make it up to the other later” and “planning projects within timeframes”.

The designer aims to make her brand global and expand her offerings of crochet designs by introducing new pieces. Her future plans are starting an online shopping website and launch a line of leather sandals with crochet designs.

Notably, Colita is a project holder with the Slingshot Funding Initiative, the “first local, founder-owned and run platform that connects Guyanese entrepreneurs, organizations and cooperatives with the wider Guyanese diaspora and the world”. She hopes to bene-

fit from this initiative by receiving funding from donors.

Slingshot Funding will be officially launched on February 20, 2017. At the initiative’s launch ceremony, Colita will be presenting her project and showcase her crochet products.

“To any woman who has a passion for something and you dream of making a business out of, my advice is to pursue it with small steps, while overcoming your fears. Also, findnew things to keep fuelling your love for what you do, associate yourself with persons that were once where you are at, be happy with who you are and most of all put the Lord above all things in your life,” expressed Colita.

For more information on Colita’s work, visit CIM Exotic Designs on Facebook and Slingshot Funding on Facebook and at www.slingshotfunding.com

6 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Times Book World The Shaping of Guyanese Literature

‘They Came in Ships’ – the poem

By Petamber Persaud

D

Mahadai Das

espite the notion that the poem, “They Came in Ships”, by Mahadai Das belongs to contemporary Guyanese literature, the poem has established for itself an aura of a Guyana classics.

There are many reasons for this classification. First and foremost, the poem is the most anthologised and performed piece of its author, becoming a sort of anthem to Indians, especially on certain occasions like (Indian) Arrival Day which

has now become a national holiday after much lobbying. (This claim does not diminish the status other outstanding pieces by Das).

The impact of this poem could be seen in a tangible way – the name of the poem is the title of a book, “They Came in Ships: An Anthology of Indo-Guyanese Prose and Poetry” which is a monumental work compiled by four stalwarts of Guyanese literary heritage – Joel Benjamin, Laxhmie Kallicharan, Lloyd Searwar,

(deceased trio) and Ian McDonald.

Further, the poem stays true to history while paintinga graphic if not sordid picture of the advent and presence of Indians to the Caribbean. This poem does not stretch the limits of its ambit – that is, it did not venture into the history of Indians in the diaspora.

This can be seen in the way it opened and ended.

It opened making reference to imperialism – “imperialist design” – its colonization thrust – and ended with a similar reference to imperialism – “capital spectacle in British frames” – as the only anthem the British knew was‘Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:Britons never will be slaves.’

The poetess is in full flow here using rhythm, rhyme, repetition, contrasts, long and short sentences to temper her emotions in what would have otherwise been a subjective poem.

The focus of this particular work was on the Guyana situation. The author, Mahadai Das, was a Guyanese poetess whose work explored Guyanese consciousness and Indian sensibility as her eye “sweeps over history” of her

ancestors who were brought to Guyana from India as indentured labourers in a mission of “imperialist design”, in an experiment on living human beings, an experiment that started in 1838 and ended in 1917.

The after effect of which is still felt today, some 179 years after the first arrivals on May 5, 1838.

Early in the poem it is stated “some came with dreams of milk-and-honey riches/…

Dreams of a cow and endless calves, / and endless reality in chains”.

What was the “endless reality in chains”?

“Honourable mention” and “second prize”!

It was disheartening to read in the history books of the trauma of Indentureship but the poetess’s expression is chilling.

I remember logies, barrackrooms, ranges, nigga-yards. My grandmother worked in the field.

Honourable mention . (my emphasis) Creole gang, child labour.

Second prize. (my emphasis) The poetess was unwilling to let go of the sufferings of her ancestors as she was determined not to reject her history, a history that would mould her and guide her, a history responsible for turning her into a political creature – dreaming to change the world.

I saw them dying at streetcorners, alone, hungry for a crumb of British bread And she was also unwilling to spare the colonisers any briar for fostering such a condition on the indentured servants that was no worse than slavery; in fact, indentureship was described as slavery by another name.

Commissioners came, capital spectacles in British frames consulting managers about costs of immigration.

The commissioners left, fifty-dollar bounty re-

Cover of “Bones” (Peepal Tree, 1988)

mained.

The poem is not devoid of hope as the writer turned to the history of Guyana for inspiration, a way out of the misery. She turned our attention to a major slave rebellion in Berbice led by Cuffy in 1763 and to the Demerara Uprising in 1823 and the history of Indian resistance at Emnore 1848 and Leonora 1964. She also mentions Crosby and his efforts to assuage the suffering and pointed to the partially failed Des Voeux commission.

Cuffy shouting: ‘Remember 1763!’ – John Smith – ‘If I am a man of God, let me join with suffering.’

Akkarra – ‘I too had a vision.’

Des Voeux cried, ‘I wrote the queen a letter, for the whimpering of coolies in logies would not let me rest.’

They came in ships across the dark waters and survived because hope of a better life was beating in their breasts.

They came in fleets.

They came in droves like cattle brown like cattle, eyes limpid, like cattle.

Some came with dreams

of milk-and-honey riches, fleeing famine and death: dancing girls, Rajput soldiers, determined, tall, escaping penalty of pride.

Stolen wives, afraid and despondent, crossing black waters, Brahmin, Chammar, alike, hearts brimful of hope.

The repetition is not without design as the poetess continues the chant of suffering and hope throughout the poem.

Mahadai Das was born in Eccles, East Bank of Demerara, Guyana, in October 1954. Das left her footprints in Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara, lived for a number of years in the USA and died on April 3, 2003 in Barbados where her mortal remains were laid to rest.

She bears the distinction of being the first Guyanese women writer of Indian ancestry to publish three collections of poems: “I Want to Be a Poetess of My People” (1977); “My Finer Steel Will Grow” (1982) and “Bones” (1988). (Photos from Peepal Tree Press)

Responses to this author telephone (592) 226-0065 or email: oraltradition2002@ yahoo.com

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 7

Times Heritage

M

y attention was very early drawn towards this subject, from several Gentlemen in my neighbourhood being among the first speculators in Guiana. Of these, some never had any fortune, & others had exhausted what little fortune they were possessed of, yet, with very few exceptions . . . they all returned speedily with larger & some of them with immense fortunes. --- Lord Seaforth, Chief of Clan Mackenzie, 1800.

The 'first speculators' from Lord Seaforth's neighbourhood, the Highlands of Scotland, included the Frasers of Belladrum, George Inglis of Inverness, Alexander Macrae of Inverinate, Thomas Cuming, Lachlan Cuming, Spencer Mackay and John Sutherland.

British settlement in Guyana from the 1740s

Essequibo and Demerara According to the Dutch historian Netscher, writing in 1888, English settlers from Caribbean islands with depleted soils and high taxes began to establish themselves in Guyana from the 1740s, first on the island of Wakenaam, then on the coast of Essequibo. This was followed by settlement in Demerara.

Nescher blamed the eventual loss of the colonies to the Dutch on the deep rooted 'English' presence – the term 'English' covered all British settlers.

Demerara was a satellite colony of Essequibo, established in 1746 by its Dutch governor Storm van 's Gravesande, who encouraged British settlement. Both were under the control of the Dutch West India Company [the WIC]. Demerara quickly outgrew its parent settlement.

A key factor in British settlement was their willingness to exploit the coastal region by putting in drainage canals and reclaiming land.

Netscher claimed that by 1774 ‘[in Demerara] hundreds of planters and other colonists of vari-

ous nationalities came to settle down, but especially English from the W I Islands, who abandoning their limited and exhausted estates came to exploit the fruitful soil of Demerara with their energy, their capital and their slaves.’

Berbice Berbice was the oldest of the three Dutch colonies and its growth was modest until the 1730s when coffee production expanded. The Berbice slave rising of 1763 and an epidemic of fevers and dysentery led to a decline in the population of both slaves and planters.

Dutch planters in the colony were suspicious of outsiders – Jews and Roman Catholics were forbidden to settle there – and British involvement in Berbice did not begin on any scale until the 1790s.

Berbice was ‘one of the most unattractive colonies in the New World’ – subject to fickle changes in weather and epidemics of disease.

Scots in Guyana – Networks

As in many colonies, networks of family, friends and acquaintances from the home country were an important means of doing business, especially for new arrivals – and, because few made this place their home, there was a continuing stream of young men arriving from Britain.

As a consequence, effective networks were even more important.

Henry Dalton recognised this when he wrote his History of British Guiana [London, 1855].

He knew of some former slaves who had set up in business hawking fish and who called the large shrimps they sold 'Scotchmen' – because of the way in which they clung to each other and were difficult to prize apart.

Scots in Guyana - the 'vortex of dissipation'

Dalton also pointed out that Scots were the most numerous and, in many ways, the most

Map of Berbice colony (Source: B. Blair. Wolfert Simon van Hoogenheim in the Berbice slave revolt of 1763-1764)

successful of the Europeans in these colonies but he believed that Scots in Guyana had retained none of the characteristic virtues of their nation. Their reserve, simplicity, sobriety and zeal for religion all disappeared in what he called the 'vortex of dissipation' of plantation life [Dalton, p308].

Charles Waterton had a similar view and described how ‘shoals’ of poor Scotsmen arrived in the Berbice, hoping for sudden wealth, and how once forty of them lay on the beach and drank rum until they were all dead. [Julia Blackburn, Charles Waterton, 1997 p27].

One aspect of this is the many examples of brutal mistreatment and abuse of enslaved Africans by Scots. The conduct of these Scots was often shocking – but this should not be surprising because we know that 'under certain conditions and social pressures, ordinary people can commit acts that would otherwise be unthinkable'.

This effect is, however, more visible in colonies such as Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo, which were on the 'edge' of the British Empire and where the risks, and sometimes the rewards, were higher.

Plantation Weilburg

McKenzie, Linden during the 1960s

Painting on street signs on Water Street, Georgetown, in 1958

Weilburg was one of the first estates in Demerara in Scottish ownership.

James Douglas (1703-1787), a naval officer - later Admiral served in the Caribbean in the 1760s and acquired plantation Weilburg in Demerara by 1762, at a time when British colonists were encouraged to settle by governor Storm van’s Gravesande.

This is an example of how the Seven Years War (1756-63), which was fought across many continents, created opportunities for trade and colonialisation.

Weilburg was managed first by a Thomas Grant, with Lachlan Maclean as attorney.

Maclean headed one faction of the deeply divided white community in Demerara and Essequibo.

In 1765 Douglas sent his brother-in-law, William Brisbane of Ayr, to replace Maclean as attorney. Brisbane was married to Elizabeth Young, the daughter of

a Jean Gordon, who died, a widow, in 'Demerary Dutch Settlement' in, or soon after, 1766.

In August 1766 James Douglas wrote to Brisbane saying 'for God's sake Willy don't run me into any more expenses than are absolutely necessary'. Brisbane's failure to do so was blamed, by his successor Robert Milne, on his illness and the fact that 'everything is done under the instruction of his wife [Elizabeth Young] . . . who carried herself so haughty to every person that presumed to advise her husband'.

Robert Milne travelled out, by Barbados, to replace Brisbane in 1767. While on route he heard rumours that Brisbane had held a 'celebration of the Pretender's birthday', that is, that he was a Jacobite. These turned out to be false but they were further evidence of the factions among the colonists.

Weilburg was supplied with slaves and provisions by Gedney Clarke jnr, the gross value being £5588 during an eighteen-month period in 1767-68, when Milne was attorney.

At the same time James Douglas's brother, Lt Col Robert Douglas, a Scots soldier serving in the Dutch army, was second-in-command in the expedition which suppressed the Berbice slave rising of 1763. (From: Slaves and Highlanders. spanglefish. com)

8 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Times Travel & Tourism

Mashramani 2017: 'Celebration with dignity, liberty and greater unity'

E

very year, February 23 is marked down as a time to celebrate, and this year will be no different. Both government and some private businesses decorate their buildings during the month, and on Mash Day (as it is called) everyone knows it’s the day of the floats, parades and Mash bands.

Under this year’s theme of a 'Celebration with dignity, liberty and greater unity', locals and tourists alike are expected to come out in their numbers to take part either as a spectator or a member in a Mash band, and enjoy the day’s activities.

This year the float parade has a new

route, which is said to be of historic significance. This year the party starts from Stabroek Market Square, along Brickdam and into D’Urban Park.

Relive the colour and fun of past Mash days with these snapshots designed to get you in the Mash mood...

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 9

Times Healthy Living

Manicure and pedicure safety A

long with the just concluded Valentine’s Day, February is a month dedicated to increasing awareness of heart ailments and disease through education. It is hoped that an awareness of heart health issues will encourage better understanding of the need to look after one’s heart health.

Making small changes to your daily routine can make a big difference to your heart health – which in the long term could save your life. According to the British Heart Foundation, being active helps keep your heart healthy, and, if you’re active every day, you’ll be less likely to develop coronary heart disease.

Your heart is a muscle that needs oxygen from your blood to work p r o p e r l y .

Coronary heart disease is when the tubes that supply your heart muscle with blood (your coronary arteries) get clogged up.

If the tubes get narrower, less oxygen will get to your heart and you might get chest pain or angin a .

If a

tube g e t s blocked and the blood can’t get to part of your heart, you’ll have a heart attack.

By taking ten minutes a few times a day to get active, you could change your life. Being active helps lower your risk of coronary heart disease because it exercises your heart, helping to keep it strong. Activity also helps lower your cholesterol – a fatty substance in your blood which can cause your arteries to clog up – helps lower your blood pressure, which means your arteries are less likely to clog up.

It can also help you feel more relaxed, have more energy and give you a sense of achievement.

Being active doesn’t always have to mean jogging or aerobics – gentle, everyday activities like walking, gardening and climbing stairs are great ways to get started.

Make small changes like walking rather than driving, and taking the stairs instead of the lift or escalator. Take a walk every day – to work, to the shop, or to see a friend.

Set a date and take your kids, grandkids, pets or friends to the park. Remember, every ten minutes counts.

The type of activity that helps your heart most will make you feel warmer, breathe harder and make your heart beat faster than usual.

Set aside some time in your week for activities like brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, exercise classes or team sports like football or netball.

Aim to work up to at least 150 minutes of this type of activity a week. You can spread this out over the week however you like.

Be realistic about your goals. Set yourself realistic goals that are specific and achievable. For example, set a goal to walk 30 minutes every day or learn how to swim.

Make exercise part of your day. Plan a time to do some physical activity that fits in with the rest of your day and try keeping an

activity diary to help monitor your progress and success. If you miss a day, don't worry just make sure you start again the next day.

Make sure you get plenty of variety.

Make a list of enjoyable activities, such as dancing and yoga, and place them in a jar.

Pick a different activity to do each week. By varying your activities, you are less likely to get bored and lose interest.

Time to take control of your weight

Being overweight means your heart has to work harder. Keeping to a healthy weight can cut down the strain on your heart and help protect you against high blood pressure and lower your cholesterol, helping to keep your heart healthy.

Measuring your waist is a good starting point to find out if you’re overweight.

Women should have a waist size of below 80cm (32 inches) and men should aim for a measurement of less than 94cm (37 inches).

For people from a South Asian background, who are at higher risk, this is 80cm (32 inches) for women

and 90cm ( 3 5 inches) for men.

Even if you don’t lose weight from getting active, it will still be good for your heart.

Get active and eat a balanced diet that’s full of fruit and vegetables.

The heart and your mental health

Your heart health and mental health are closely connected. Research has shown that people with severe mental health problems are two to three times more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease due to medication and lifestyle factors.

You can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by making healthy changes to your lifestyle that will benefit your mental, physical and heart health. Eat a healthy diet. Healthy eating can help control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It can also help improve your mood and reduce symptoms of depression.

Get active. Being physically active can help make your muscles stronger, help you to lose weight and lower your blood pressure. Regular exercise can also boost your mental health. It can ease anxiety and depression and make you sleep better.

Stop smoking. Smoking is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular diseases, including coronary heart disease and stroke. Instead of helping you relax, smoking actually increases anxiety and tension and may stop your mental health medication working properly.

Cut down on alcohol. Alcohol changes your mood so you may drink to help you feel better or deal with the symptoms of your mental health problem. Alcohol is a depressant so it can change your mood for the worse very quickly and make your mental health condition worse.

M

any persons may not realise but there are dangers to having a manicure or pedicure that can leave you with an infection or other serious health issue.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, having beautiful nails is less a matter of luck and more a matter of caring for them correctly.

Here are their dermatologists’ top manicure and pedicure tips: 1. Apply a cream to moisturize your nails, especially after removing nail polish since most removers contain chemicals that dry the nails.

2. To prevent infection, never cut or forcefully push back your cuticles. If you must push them back, only do so gently after a shower or bath.

3. While most nail salons

follow strict cleanliness and disinfection guidelines, look for the following when visiting a salon: Does your nail technician have the necessary experience and/or license, if required?

Are the stations clean?

Does the nail technician wash her hands between clients?

Are there dirty tools lying around?

In addition, do not hesitate to ask how they clean their tools.

4. Shave your lower legs after getting a pedicure, not before. That means not shaving your lower legs for at least 24 hours before you get a pedicure. If you nick yourself while shaving, a pedicure could put you at risk for an infection.

5. If you get frequent manicures and pedicures,

consider purchasing your own tools to be used at the salon.

6. In addition, check that the pedicure footbaths and filters are thoroughly disinfected before you use them. If they are improperly cleaned, they can harbour bacteria and fungus.

If the salon does not appear clean, then move on.

7. If you want to wear a bright red or orange polish, prevent discoloration by applying an extra layer of base coat. If your nails become yellowed and discoloured from the polish, your nails should return to normal colour over several weeks if the same colour is not reapplied.

8. While some people beg to differ, there is no scientific evidence that immersing nails in gelatin makes them stronger. Polishes that contain strengthening ingredients increase nail stiffness, which may make nails break more frequently.

9. Do not wear artificial nails to cover up nail problems as they may make them worse. Artificial nails are not recommended for people who are prone to fungal infections or have brittle nails. For people with healthy nails, artificial nails can be fine as long as they are not worn continuously.

Know what products are used in your artificial nails as the substances used can cause an allergic reaction in some people. If you develop a rash or other reaction, tell your doctor what products you used.

10 Sunday Times Magazine Times Fashion

Designer Rishma Persaud

D

esigner Krishna Persaud is no stranger to the fashion scene, since she has been designing for more than 15 years.

Under her label, RP Couture, the designer has been part of numerous fashion events, such as Guyana’s Fashion Week, Carifesta, Miss Guyana Universe, and Style Mission.

Recently, she launched her newest collection of fashion-

able plus size outfits and girls’ dresses.

In an interview with Sunday Times Magazine, Persaud saidshe used taffeta and jersey fabric along withchiffon, satin and embroidered materials.The doyenne of fashion added that the outfits can be worn to formal and semi-formal events.

For more information on her designs, call 592-621-7707.

(Photos by Dione Vanderhyden)

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 11

W

Star Times Hollywood

illiam Levy is a Cuban American actor and former model.He left Cuba at the age of 14, moving to Miami by 15, and later became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. William studied acting in both Miami and L.A., where he moved to begin his acting career.He started his career on reality television and got his big television break on reality show “Isla de la Tentación” (Temptation Island). The actor is well known

by Latin audiences as a Latino Telenovela actor, but the English-speaking knows him from the steamy Jennifer Lopez’s video “I’m Into You” (2011). His major Hollywood television role was in the 2014 American erotic thriller, “Addicted”.He was subsequently seen in the 2014 American comedy-drama,“The Single Moms Club”. The actor’s most recent role was in “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”. Apart from acting, William is a philanthropist and donates his time to fixing houses for low income families in Mexico as part of the “Alianzasque Construyen” Televisa Foundation. People Magazine named him “Most Handsome” and “Sexiest Man Alive”.

12 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Times Hollywood

Justin Bieber investigated in pre-Grammy party brawl

B

ieber reportedly is under investigation for an alleged “headbutting” fight at a pre-Grammy party at a Los Angeles restaurant called Serafina.

Bieber allegedly attacked a guy for filming him without his consent.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's deparment confirms the incident, which happened on Saturday, February 11. "There is an open investigation where someone inside the establishment called and said that something happened with him [Bieber] outside," the sheriff department tells

ET. According to TMZ, Bieber went to the restaurant where the brawl occurred as his producer friend, Poo Bear, was hosting a shindig. The brawl, which happened at 2 A.M., went down as Bieber was "play fighting" with Kyle Massey before he realized someone was taping the action. He allegedly asked the guy to stop and delete the recording. Since the unknown guy allegedly refused what he was asked for, Bieber went to lung at the guy furiously.

The brutal fight prompted someone to call the L.A.

County Sheriff's Dept. and reported the incident.

However, by the time deputies arrived, Bieber had already left. Wearing a black sweatshirt and gray sweatpants, he was seen leaving the restaurant with a cut injury in his hand, as shown in photos obtained by Daily Mail.

Caroline McBride, Director of Public Relations for Serafina Restaurant Group, claims that no one from the staff called 911, contrary to the law enforcement's statement that it was the restaurant staff who called and reported the incident to cops. "We know very little about the alleged incident at Serafina Sunset with Justin Bieber, but we can assure you that nobody from our staff was involved, nor did we call the police," McBride says. She adds, "We always have a pleasant experience with Mr. Bieber whenever he comes to Serafina."

TMZ reports although the alleged victim doesn't want to press charges against the celebrity, the misdemeanor battery investigation is still ongoing as cops consider the incident as a possible crime.

Reps for Bieber have not commented on the issue yet.

(AceShowbiz)

Nicole Kidman reveals she was once engaged to Lenny Kravitz

N

icole Kidman revealed she was once engaged to rocker Lenny Kravitz, whom she dated in 2003.

The Oscar-winning actress told NET-APORTER.com’s magazine, The EDIT. “I love Lenny; he’s a great guy.I was engaged to him.”

Engagement rumors surrounded the stars’ romance in the early 2000s after Kidman’s divorce from Tom Cruise, and the Australian actress previously admitted to being engaged between Cruise and her cur-

rent husband Keith Urban.

“It just wasn’t right,” she told Vanity Fair in 2007 of the secret engagement, without revealing her former fiancé. “I wasn’t ready. We weren’t ready.”

However, the former couple remain pals.

Kidman and Urban, who married in 2006, hung out with Kravitz backstage at the 2016 CMT Music Awards. They all exchanged hugs and posed for a group photo. (PEOPLE)

Sia asks Kanye West to make his ‘Yeezy Collection’ fur-free

N

o matter your feelings about Kanye West or his particular acumen as a clothing designer, it must be admitted that Yeezy is always one of the biggest spectacles of New York Fashion Week. Well, that is except for Kanye’s decision to feature extravagant fur coats, at least according to Sia. The super private musi-

cian tweeted on Wednesday night, “Dear @kanyewest would you consider going fur free? This is the reality of fur for fashion -it’s so sad,” linking out to a very disturbing video titled “Under the Fur Coats: Rabbits’ Screams of Death.” Animal advocacy group PETA also promptly responded to Sia’s tweet, reiterating her sentiment and posting another graphic vid-

eo clip of their own.

However, it seems the rapper/designer may have already been very much on board with Sia’s animal rights message, as according to the review of the show on Vogue.com, the ankle-length fur coat worn by groundbreaking, hijabwearing model Halima Aden was in fact faux (artificial).

(PEOPLE)

Katy Perry launches a shoe collection

K

aty Perry is gearing up to drop her very first shoe line, Katy Perry Collections, which hit katyperrycollections.com on February 16.

“I’ve been courting this idea for several years,” the singer tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, on newsstands Friday. “For half my career, people have been asking me when I’m getting into fashion. It’s always been simmering under the surface, but I

wanted to do it the right way and be the real creative contributor.

This is something that I’ve created from the bottom up.”

Her debut is gigantic — 40 pieces total — and it features mini capsules within it, such as Havanainspired shoes, a US$159 platform mule that features a cigar as a heel, money-inspired shoes and a pair printed with “currency” featuring her face, and more.

“I’m a big fan of very unique shoes. There are so many different vibes [in the line] because that’s who I am, and I love so many different things,” says Perry. “They all represent my personality and the many moods and characters I’ve displayed throughout my life and career.” (PEOPLE)

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Sunday Times Magazine 13

m a t u a G i m

Star Times Bollywood

Ya

Y

ami Gautam is an Indian actress and model who predominantly appears in Hindi and Telugu films. She has also appeared in a few Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Punjabi films. In addition to acting, she is a prominent celebrity endorser for numerous top brands.In 2012, Gautam made her Bollywood debut with the film “Vicky Donor”, for which she received the Zee Cine Awards for Best Female Debut.

Her following projects included commercially successful films like “Action Jackson” (2014), “Badlapur” (2015), “Sanam Re” (2016) and “Kaabil” (2017).

14 Sunday Times Magazine Times Bollywood

Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra stun at New York Fashion Week

D

eepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra, who have both made their presence felt globally, looked smashing as they attended the New York Fashion Week recently. Deepika was at Michael Kors’ show while Priyanka attended Prabal Gurung’s show.

Deepika chose a navy blue dress from Kors’ Spring 2017 collection and paired it with a high neck white top. Her open, side parted hair added grace to her look.

Priyanka opted for a grey skirt with a thighhigh slit and a black crop top. She paired her outfit with knee-length black boots. (ANI)

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Shah Rukh Khan to host TED Talks India A

fter months of speculation, it is confirmed that Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan will soon host the Hindi version of popular international show TED Talks.

Star India will air the Indian version - TED Talks India: NayiSoch. To be created in partnership with non-profit TED, the deal marks the first time TED is collaborating with a major network and star to produce a TV series featuring original TED Talks in a language other than English.

Talking about the new collaboration, Star India chairman and CEO Uday Shankar said in a press release, “At Star, we have always believed in pushing the boundaries with new ideas,

creativity and fresh thinking. Nobody reflects this belief more than TED, and we are thrilled to collaborate with them in bringing the power of ideas to our audiences with TED Talks India: NayiSoch. In an age of high volatility the role of ideas to fuel positive change cannot

be overstated. We are delighted to have Shah Rukh Khan share our vision and lend his charisma to this exciting endeavour.”

The show is likely to be launched this year.

(Hindustan Times)

Sanjay Dutt to spread awareness on drug abuse

S

anjay Dutt has been in the news owing to the biopic on his life, starring RanbirKapoor. However, even before the RajkumarHirani directorial brings his journey alive on the big screen, HT has learnt that Dutt has a special plan in mind

— he is “very keen” to spread awareness about the ill-effects of drugs.

“In his life, Sanjay has experienced a lot of ups and downs, but now he wants to give back to society in his capacity as an actor and a public figure. He wants people to be mindful about the repercussions of drug abuse,” says an insider. Reportedly, the actor himself was a victim of substance abuse during his initial years in the industry.

Apparently, the “MunnaBhai MBBS” (2003) actor wants to take up the cause for a “long period”. The insider adds, “Sanjay wants people, especially the youth, to understand how drugs and intoxication are not a solution to problems, and that it can affect someone’s life adversely. He feels he can hand-hold an addict, as he is aware of such a person’s state of mind.”

Moreover, Sanjay also wants to share his personal journey and experiences on how he has come out, not just as a survivor, but also a winner (after going to a rehab in the US).

(Hindustan Times)

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Sunday Times Magazine

15

Times Trends

Trending Now

S

temming from the booming Muslim fashion industry, where Muslim fashion designers see a rapidly growing commerce, many other designers are catering for this growth with the term “Modest-wear is the new black”, where Western fashion has seen a popularity in outfits that are less revealing than before, and Muslim fashion is seeing the term modest-wear being applied to their clothing.

Star of the week

Women can be fashionable but at the same time they can fulfil the requirements of their religion, says Shelvy Afrin, vice president of Muslim fashion brand Shafira, a sponsor of Indonesia Fashion Week

Modest-wear glamour relies on long flowing gowns in fluid fabrics, rather than skin exposure, for appeal

G

Modest-wear on the runway

It’s a style that has caught on among many fashion bloggers as well

Modest-wear is for women of any age, and of any faith who prefer not to dress in short, tight or revealing clothing

abriella Chapman, born July 25, 1995, aims to promote causes close to her heart through pageantry. The beauty grew up in a small house on a farm in Bartica with her mother, stepfather and two younger brothers.

Gabriella is grateful to her parents for ensuring she and her siblings received a “sound education”. She attended Three Miles Secondary School where she secured nine subjects at CSEC, copping the award for Best Graduating Student in English. Currently, she is pursuing a Degree in Agriculture at the University of Guyana with aspirations of becoming an agricultural business manager. Gabriella was motivated to pursue a career in agriculture because she believes that Guyana’s agricultural sector plays a significant role in the country’s economy and is in need of competent human resources. Also, her respect for “how the earth yields our essential dietary needs” continues to inspire her. Gabriella is no stranger to pageantry. The humanitarian is constantly commended for her eloquence, acumen and effectively using the opportunities afforded to her via pageants to promote various causes. Notably, she is motivated by her passion for learning and desire to become a “successful woman” and a role model for others. Apart from pageantry, agriculture, and her humanitarian work, Gabriella enjoys singing and dancing. Currently, she is vying for the Miss Mash Queen Guyana 2017 title, which will be held Feb. 19, 2017 at the National Cultural Centre.

16 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Times Art

S

Alicia Morgan

elf-taught artist Alicia Morganviews art as a means of release and self-expression. She finds art in everyday life: taking inspiration from people and the life that abounds in nature.

“What inspired me to be an artist is the support I received from my parents.

When they examine my work and commend me on how talented I am, this motivates me even further to keep pursuing my passion for art. As a child, I would draw more than I would paint [drawing usually implies working in pencil, pen, charcoal, pastel and even ink; painting entails the use of a brush, palette knife or sponge and liquid paint], but not as frequent and intimate as I do now,” 18-yearold Alicia said in an interview with Sunday Times Magazine.

Alicia recalled she started drawing when she was about 13 years old and painting at age 15.

Though she considers her artistic talent as innate, Alicia mentioned that one of her uncles has a skill for painting, but he isnot an artist, so she may have inherited an amount of her artistry.

The artist noted that at the moment she is a “painter using mediums like acrylic paint, oil and chalk pastels”. Her favourite quotes are: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time” and “I don’t want life to imitate art, I want life to be art”.

“Art does a lot for me. I love the way I feel when I am painting; it makes me feel lighter and it just reduces stress. Art is more than just a leisure activity for me; I take great pleasure in painting. Additionally, I take inspiration from my environment as well as the people who surround me when I am painting,” she expressed.

Alicia enjoys contemporary art and would do “a little dabbling” with abstract art, but is not involved in portrait paintings.

Communicating her emotions through her paintings, the artist, while painting, would consider how she wants “people to feel when they look at the paintings”.

She explained that sometimes she would just paint based on her mood.

As a young artist, Alicia hopes that she can continue to pursue her passion for art

"Pouring wine"

"Background beauty"

"Girl walking in the rain"

and be able to make a career out of it by selling her paintings. Moreover, her desire is to inspire other youths to build an appreciation for art despite challenges.

“My advice to youths who want to become artists is to liberate yourself, be positive and have patience, because for me these helped in my

development of becoming an artist. Furthermore, free yourself from all the negative thoughts that might come to mind when you first start. If you are painting and it is not looking the way you want it to, know it is fine; just take a few minutes and try again,” Alicia encouraged.

"Winter angel I"

"La Fleur"

For more information on the artist, visit Sugarchaos

art.gy on Facebook.(Cover photo: " Zen Pond")

"Whimsical Tree Goddess"

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 17

Times Tech

A

pple has bested Samsung as the number one global smartphone maker, but only by a razor-thin margin.

A new Gartner report this week showed that Apple now has 17.9 per cent of the total smartphone market compared with Samsung’s 17.8 per cent market share.

In the fourth quarter, Apple sold 77 million iPhones while Samsung sold 76.8 million of its line-up of smartphones, the report said.

It’s a bit of a milestone

Tech BYTE

for Apple, which has been second to Samsung in terms of smartphones for eight consecutive quarters.

“The last time Apple was in the leading position was in the fourth quarter of 2014, when its sales were driven by its first ever largescreen iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,” said Gartner research director Anshul Gupta in a statement.

With Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smartphone off the market because of the potential that some batteries in the devices could explode,

it meant that Samsung was unable to sell its high-profile Galaxy Note 7 during the holiday season, which significantly hurt the tech giant, according to a January survey by Counterpoint Research.

Apple wasn’t the only company to have benefited from the Samsung recall.

Chinese smartphone makers Huawei, Oppo, BBK, and Gionee all sold more phones in the fourth quarter than in the prior quarter, Gartner said.

India smashes satellite launch record

was launched from the spaceport at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh and delivered 104 satellites into orbit, beating the previous record for a single mission of 37 satellites set by Russia in 2014.

The record-breaking mission saw a 714-kg Cartosat-2 series satellite delivered to a 505-km Sunsynchronous orbit (SSO) at 9.45 am, followed by the release of 103 co-passenger satellites totalling 664 kg.

The Cartosat-2 is an Earth observation satellite, while the 103 copassenger satellites are nanosats, 96 of which are from the US, two from India, and one each from Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Arab Emirates.

The successful record launch follows the sucThe rocket carrying 104 satellites was launched cessful launch of 20 satfrom the Sriharikota space centre ellites by ISRO last year, and follows the success of he Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has set a new the Indian space agency's Mars Orbiter record for the number of satellites Mission (MOM), which saw a probe enter orbit around the Red Planet in September, delivered into orbit from a single rocket.

On Wednesday at 9.28 am local time, 2014, making India the first country to the PSLV C37/Cartosat-2 Series Mission reach Mars orbit on its first attempt.

T

GIFs to help people learn sign language, empower deaf people

G

iphy, the search engine for all things gif,released an extensive GIF library Thursday with more than 2,000 words and phrases in American Sign Language.

To create the GIFs, Giphy cut videos from popular educational series “Sign with Robert”, adding text descriptions to make the GIFs look like looping flash cards.

According to Mashable, they were designed to teach hearing people ASL and to empower the Deaf community.

"GIFs, as a visual format untethered from audio, makes them a perfect medium for sign language," said Hilari Scarl, director and producer at “Sign with Robert”.

The series was first conceptualized by Wallis Millar-Blanchaer, a video artist at Giphy, and Stephanie Weber, a Giphy studios coordinator. They were interested in exploring how GIFs could help fa-

cilitate a more inclusive type of education.

Though Giphy plans to continue growing the library of GIFs, the team chose to include words and phrases by looking at Giphy users' top search terms.

They also worked with “Sign with Robert” to pinpoint gaps in what they found, relying on them to make sure they had the most comprehensive content and to ensure accuracy, the “Sign with Robert” team reviewed each GIF for approval.

Though the GIFs may seem straightforward, they go beyond stale instruction to empower the Deaf community in an unprecedented way.

"I think the Deaf community will be able to have fun with the GIFs and use them in emails, texts and social media to add humour, clarification or emphasis," Scarl said. "Giphy included over 2,000 signs so there is something for everyone."

Tech news

Apple CEO blasts 'mind killing' fake news

Apple CEO Tim Cook

A

pple CEO Tim Cook has called for a campaign against fake news.

Its producers – largely interested only in getting the most clicks –are defeating the people who are trying to tell the most truth, he told the UK's Daily Telegraph in an exclusive interview last week.

Fake news is "killing people's minds in a way," Cook said.The spread of fake news online “is one of today's chief problems,”he told “Good Morning Britain”.

The worldwide epidemic of fake news requires a crackdown by both government and tech, he said, but care must be taken not to step on the freedoms of speech and the press.

In his interview with “Good Morning Britain” on Thursday Cook noted that“It is not something that has a simple solution.”

The challenge to Cook or anyone else wishing to crackdown on fake news will be nailing down what exactly "fake news" is. "'Fake news' has gone in six months from a useful description to something that's absolutely meaningless," said Dan Kennedy, an associate professor at the school of journalism at Northeastern University.

Fake news originally was the product of bogus news publishers that posted wildly exaggerated or entirely made-up stories to garner clicks just for advertising revenue.

"Now it's meaningless, because the Trump White House calls anything it doesn't like 'fake news,'" Kennedy told TechNewsWorld.

"A number of people have appropriated it to mean news that they don't like," John Carroll, a mass communications professor at Boston University also told TechNewsWorld.

"I don't know what 'killing people's minds' means," he added, "but I know fake news is eroding public discourse, and giving people a false impression not only of the news media but also current events."

Both Google and Facebook are making efforts to stop the flow – Google by blocking fake news sites from participating in its advertising platform; Facebook by limiting misinformation on its system.

Samsung Galaxy S8 could use Sony batteries S eeking to ensure it doesn't endure a repeat crisis in 2017 the company is looking to a variety of battery manufacturers to provide parts for the much-anticipated Galaxy S8.

The company is adding a familiar name to the current line-up of manufacturers providing batteries for this year's flagship phone – Japanese tech giant Sony -- the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Sony will be the third company to provide the lithium-ion batteries that will power Samsung's Galaxy S8, WSJ said, citing people familiar with the matter. The order placed with Sony is reportedly proportionally smaller than those placed with

the other two suppliers, Samsung SDI Co. and Amperex.

Even though Sony is technically a rival of Samsung's in the mobile marketplace, the company provides high-quality

components to several companies that make phones. Most famously, it provides some of the camera tech Apple used for the iPhone's much-lauded camera.

Neither Samsung nor Sony immediately responded to cnet’s request for comment.

18 Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Times Home & Cooking

Recipe of the Week

Butternut squash Mac and cheese

Ingredients

F

itting a home gym does not necessarily require a big budget and lots of space. In fact, any space in your home can be transformed into gym space...

Too busy to go to a gym? Putting exercise equipment in your home office is a great option – just steps away from a great workout

1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped 1 tbsp. olive oil Kosher salt and pepper 1/2 lb. elbow macaroni 2 1/2 cups milk, divided

Method Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place butternut squash chunks on a large baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the squash and toss. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.

Roast for 20-30 minutes or until tender, turning once.

While the butternut squash is roasting, cook macaroni according to package directions, drain well. Set aside.

Add butternut squash to food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add in 1/2 cup of the milk and puree again. This will help thin out the butternut squash.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter. When the butter is melted whisk in the flour. Add the nutmeg. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes, whisking constantly, or until flour mixture smells nutty. Add the remaining 2 cups of milk and whisk until mixture is

U

You can also go outdoors – your backyard – for a workout

smooth. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil while continuing to whisk. After sauce has thickened, turn heat to low and whisk in butternut squash mixture. Stir in the fresh rosemary. Add the cooked macaroni to the pan and stir until the macaroni noodles are well coated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish. Pour half of the macaroni noodles into the pan.

Sprinkle half of the aged cheddar and sharp cheddar over the macaroni noodles. Add the remaining noodles and then top with the rest of the cheese. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 2530 minutes, or until macaroni and cheese is bubbling. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Greatest Cooking Tips

se a heavy bottomed vessel for boiling milk and for preparations using milk like kheer. Before adding the milk, a little water can be added to the vessel to avoid the milk from sticking to the bottom and getting burnt.

Choose any oil with neutral flavour like vegetable oil, refined sunflower oil, canola oil etc. for frying. Oils with strong flavour like olive oil or coconut oil will change the taste of the fried food.

To store fish longer and keep fresher, clean it, apply some turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt and put it in the freezer.

Blanching is a fast process by nature. You want to only cook vegetables for about one or two minutes and then shock them in an ice bath to retain their colour and crispy texture.

K

Find some space in your home to fit enough gym equipment to give you a good workout

2 tbsp. butter 3 tbsp. flour 1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg 1 tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary 1 cup aged white cheddar cheese, shredded 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

Home Help

eep brown sugar soft by storing with several marshmallows.

Create your own watering can by punching holes in the cover of a large used plastic bottle such as those that once held oil, or smaller ones that held milk or juice.

Spray wd40 on a cloth and wipe over leather shoes or leather boots, then buff with a soft clean cloth to shine and make them waterproof.

Before storing clothes that have been dry cleaned, remove them from the plastic bag, as the bag may cause clothes to yellow.

If you or your kids are a bit rough with their DVDs or CDs, a bit of toothpaste will help scratched discs play. Rub a small amount on the scratch then buff.

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine19

Family Times

PARENTING

Are your children consuming too much sugar?

I

JOKES

The pastor’s sermon n preparation for my sermon next week, I want you all to read Mark chapter 17. You are dismissed,”says the pastor.

So next week everybody comes back to church. After singing a few hymns, the pastor comes to the pulpit.

"How many read Mark chapter 17 like I said last week?"

Everyone raised their hand.

The pastor says "and it's a great chapter, amen??"

There are shouts of "Amen!" from the congregation. Then the pastor smirks.

"Well, Mark only has 16 chapters. I will now begin my sermon on the terrible sin of lying."

“I

With age comes wisdom balding, white haired man from Chebacco Lake in Florida, walked into a jewellery store this past Friday evening with a beautiful much younger gal at his side. He told the jeweller he was looking for a special ring for his girlfriend. The jeweller looked through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring.

The man said, "No, I'd like to see something more special."

At that statement, the jeweller went to his special stock and brought another ring over.

"Here's a stunning ring at only $40,000," the jeweller said.

The lady's eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement. The old man seeing this said, "We'll take it."

The jeweller asked how payment would be made and the man stated, "By check. I know you need to make sure my check is good, so I'll write it now and you can call the bank Monday to verify the funds and I'll pick the ring up Monday afternoon."

On Monday morning, the jeweller angrily phoned the old man and said, "There's no money in that account."

"I know," said the old man. "But let me tell you about my great weekend!!"

A

Who says men don't remember couple were Christmas shopping. The shopping centre was packed, and as the wife walked through one of the malls she was surprised when she looked around to find that her husband was nowhere to be seen. She was quite upset because they had a lot to do and she became so worried that she called him on her mobile phone to ask him where he was.

In a quiet voice he said, "Do you remember the jewellers we went into about five years ago where you fell in love with that diamond necklace that we couldn't afford, and I told you that I would get it for you one day?"

The wife choked up and started to cry and said, "Yes, I do remember that shop."

He replied, "Well, I'm in the bar next door."

A

Eat grass wealthy lawyer was riding in his limousine when he saw two men along the roadside eating grass. Disturbed, he ordered his driver to stop and he got out to investigate.

He asked one man, "Why are you eating grass?"

"We don't have any money for food," the poor man replied.

"We have to eat grass."

"Well then, you can come with me to my house and I'll feed you," the lawyer said.

"But sir, I have a wife and two children with me. They are over there, under that tree."

"Bring them along," the lawyer replied. Turning to the other poor man he stated, "You come with us too."

The second man, in a pitiful voice then said, "But sir, I also have a wife and six children with me!"

"Bring them all, as well," the lawyer answered.

They all entered the car, which was no easy task, even for a car as large as the limousine. Once underway, one of the poor fellows turned to the lawyer and said, "Sir, you are too kind.

Thank you for taking all of us with you."

T h e l a w y e r replied, "Glad to do it. You'll really love my place... the grass is almost a foot high!"

A

f you’re worried about how much sugar your kids are eating, it’s time to take a second look at how much they’re drinking.

Since added sugar contributes to health issues such as weight gain, heart disease, high blood sugar, and cavities, there are plenty of reasons to keep kids from slurping it down daily.

The American Heart Association recommends that children and teens limit sugar-sweetened drinks to 8 ounces per week -- that’s less than a regular 12-ounce soda can.

As an overall daily limit on added sugar, young people should get less than 6

tablespoons (which is about 100 calories or 25 grams).

Compare that to the huge

39 grams of sugar found in a 12-ounce can of soda.

Plus, with added sugar hiding in seemingly innocent foods like pasta sauce, yogurt, ketchup and salad dressing, it’s all too easy for children and teens to go over the limit in just one meal -- without accounting for treats.

In addition to cutting back on sugary sodas and other sweet drinks, experts recommend that kids should avoid processed foods and baked goods like cookies, cakes, and sweet cereals.

STORY TIME

When truth dawned

R

yokan, the Zen teacher, was requested by his sister-inlaw to come to her house and talk to her son.

“He does no work, squanders his father’s money in wild parties and is neglecting the estate,” she complained. “If he does not reform, we will be ruined."

Ryokan went to his brother’s house and met his nephew who was genuinely pleased to see him. The two of them had spent many happy hours together before Ryokan had turned to Zen and entered the monastery.

The young man knew why his uncle had come and braced himself for the scolding he was sure he would receive. But Ryokan said not a word in rebuke, the whole day.

The next morning when it was time for him to go, he put on his garments and then

said to his nephew: “Will you help me tie the thongs of my sandals? My hands shake and I cannot do it.”

His nephew helped him willingly.

“Thank you,” said Ryokan. “A man becomes older and feebler day by day. You remember how strong and robust I used to be?”

“I do,” said his nephew, thoughtfully. “I do indeed remember how you used to be.”

It was the moment of truth for him. He suddenly realized that his mother and all those who had looked after him had become old and that it was now his turn to look after them and to take on the responsibilities of the household and the community.

He gave up his dissolute life forever. (A Zen tale)

Bread and Music

Music I heard with you was more than music, And bread I broke with you was more than bread; Now that I am without you, all is desolate; All that was once so beautiful is dead.

Your hands once touched this table and this silver, And I have seen your fingers hold this glass.

These things do not remember you, beloved, And yet your touch upon them will not pass.

For it was in my heart you moved among them, And blessed them with your hands and with your eyes; And in my heart they will remember always, — They knew you once, O beautiful and wise.

---Conrad Aiken

Using fossils

sil word because it was once used to talk about actual shade from the sun before it became “to give umbrage”, meaning to “throw shade” on someone i.e. offend someone. Today when

hink you can’t speak like Shakespeare’s characters?

Chances are you use really outof-date words in your everyday speech without realising it. These are called fossil words because they are generally obsolete in modern speech or language but are retained usually in idioms or common phrases.

One of the most obvious fossil words that comes to us from Shakespeare is “ado”. Remember “Much ado about nothing”? Well “ado” is almost never used today except in this phrase, which means “much fuss about nothing”, with “ado” defined as a “state of agitation or fuss”.

Another fossil word is “yore”, usually only found in the idiom, “days of yore”, nostalgically meaning time long ago; days past.

Sometimes just using these fossil words can bring guffaws. Rarely used these days, a “guffaw” is a loud laugh, usually when someone says or does something stupid.

Other fossil words and idioms include:

it is used it means “to take offense” at something someone may have said or done: “to take umbrage”.

When last have you hear the declaration “I take great umbrage at your opinion of me”?

By Grammar G.

T

“To champ at the bit”: to be impatient. From “champ”, meaning to make a noisy biting or chewing action. At first horses were said to champ at their bit when they were restless or impatient – and from that came the idiom.

“Umbrage” is considered a fos-

20 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

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Times Sunday Puzzle

In this teaser, you are to start with the letter 'U', and then each time add a letter and shuffle it to make a new word. You need to continue this process until you reach the word 'PRODUCE'.

U __ ___ ____ _____ ______ PRODUCE see ANSWERS on page 23

see solution on page 23

see solution on page 23

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine

21

Times Kids

Creature Corner

GEOZONE

Teotihuacan

T

he West Indian Manatee (Trichechus manatus) , also called “sea cow”, can grow up to up to 13 feet (4 meters) long and weigh as much as 1,300 pounds (600 kg).

It can be found along the northern coasts of South America, Central America, the Caribbean and parts of southern North America.

This aquatic herbivore rarely fights, and has no natural predators. They eat water plants and plants that grow at the water's edge, eating up to 1 lb. (0.5 kg) of food for every 10 lbs. (5 kg) it weighs.

According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the West Indian Manatee is currently

Please see solution on page 23

divided into the Florida (T. m. latirostris) and Antillean (T. m. manatus) subspecies.

Recent data indicate three distinctive lineages corresponding geographically with: (1) Florida and the Greater Antilles; (2) Western and Southern Gulf of Mexico, Central America, and NW South America west of the Lesser Antilles; and (3) NE South America east of the Lesser Antilles.

Evidence also exists for viable hybridization with T. inunguis near the mouth of the Amazon, in Guyana, French Guiana, and possibly Suriname.

The objective of the game is to fill all the blank squares in a game with the correct numbers. Every row of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every column of 9 numbers must include all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 by 3 subsection of the 9 by 9 square must include all digits 1 through 9.

The city’s main street known today as the Avenue of the Dead, from a later Aztec name. Top left is the Pyramid of the Sun, one of the largest structures created in the pre-Columbian New World

T

eotihuacan, located about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of modern-day Mexico City, was one of the largest urban centres in the pre-Columbus eras.

To date, no one is quite sure who built it between the 1st and 7th centuries A.D – more than a thousand years before the arrival of the Aztec in central Mexico. The name Teotihuacan

was given to it by the Aztecs and means “the place where the gods were created.”

Teotihuacan is said to have reached its zenith between 100 B.C. and A.D. 650. It covered 8 square miles (21 square km) and supported a population of more than a hundred thousand.

It was the largest city anywhere in the Western Hemisphere before the 1400s.

Maze Daze

Dot to Dot

22 Sunday Times Magazine

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Sunday Times Magazine 23

Times World

Image of Turkish assassin Orange-hued alligator wins World Press Photo award spotted in South Carolina

Associated Press photographer and 2017 World Press Photo Contest winner Burhan Ozbilici (right) is interviewed by Lars Boering, managing director of the World Press Photo Foundation in front of his winning picture during a press conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday

A

ssociated Press photographer Burhan Ozbilici won the 2017 World Press Photo competition Monday, with jurors and colleagues lauding his courage and composure in capturing his image of a gun-wielding off-duty Turkish policeman standing over the body of Russia’s ambassador, whom he had just fatally shot.

Ozbilici’s image was part of a series titled “An Assassination in Turkey” that also won the Spot News - Stories category. The photos were captured in the moments before and after policeman Mevlut Mert Altintas drew a handgun and shot Ambassador Andrei Karlov at a photo exhibition in Ankara on Dec. 19, 2016.

Ozbilici said his professional instincts kicked in despite the shocking scene unfolding in front of him.So the veteran AP photographer did what he has learned to do over some 30 years: “I immediately decided to do my job

because I could be wounded, maybe die, but at least I have to represent good journalism,” he said.

The winning image announced Monday was among 80,408 photos submitted to the prestigious competition by 5,034 photographers from 125 countries. The jury awarded prizes in eight categories to 45 photographers from 25 countries.

The eclectic selection of winners highlighted the dominant news topics of the last year -- including conflict in Syria and Iraq, the migrant crisis, the death of long-time Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the Olympic Games in Rio. Among winning nature photos were images depicting humanity’s devastating effect on wildlife, including a gruesome photograph of a poached rhino with its horn hacked off and another showing a turtle swimming while enmeshed in a green fishing net.

Scientists drill into volcano to harness its energy

R

esearchers investigating the feasibility of volcano-powered elec-

tricity successfully drilled into the core of one in Iceland.

Scientists studied the vol-

Brain Teaser Answer U UP CUP COUP

COUPE RECOUP PRODUCE

SUDOKU

KID SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

canic system at Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, which has been dormant for more than 700 years, according to a hazard assessment by Verkis Consulting Engineers for Invest in Iceland.

The depths of Reykjanes' geothermal field — an area with high heat flow — had never been explored, researchers with the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) said in a statement.

Beginning in August 2016, the IDDP spent 168 days drilling into the volcanic belly of Reykjanes. This well was completed on Jan. 25, reaching a record-breaking depth of nearly 3 miles (4.8 kilometres).

At this depth, the hole does not enter the magma chamber but does penetrate the rock surrounding it, which the researchers measured to be about 800 degrees Fahrenheit (427 degrees Celsius).

Geothermal energy uses the heat trapped beneath the Earth's surface to generate electricity. Conventional geothermal energy utilizes steam from natural sources such as geysers, or by drawing water from the hot, highpressure depths of the Earth.

The hot vapours are then used to drive electric turbines.

Research will continue through 2018 to explore how the volcano's thermal energy could be used, including as a form of alternative energy, according to IDDP scientists.

M

“Trumpigator” basking on the bank of a pond

embers of a residential community in Hanahan, South Carolina, spotted an unusual sight near one of the retention pondsin early February — an alligator with skin tinted an orange hue.

Estimated to be 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) long, the alligator was nicknamed "Trumpigator" by its human neighbours, local television newscast WCBD News 2 reported.

The carrot-coloured crocodilian is most likely an American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) — the only crocodilian native to South Carolina — which can live to be more than 60 years old and reach lengths of up to 13 feet (4 m), according to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR).

The‘gator was photographed basking on the bank near a pond, its bright orange skin standing out in sharp contrast to the patchy brown grass.

What might have turned this alligator the unexpected hue? One explanation might be rust, iron oxide, from a steel culvert where the alligator was hiding out during the winter, an SCDNR representative tweeted.

An environmental factor like algae or a pollutant in the water could also colour a gator's skin, but it's difficult to know for sure, Josh Zalabak, a herpetologist with the South Carolina Aquarium, told WCBD News 2. If the discoloration is only skin-deep, it should disappear in a few weeks, when the alligator sheds its skin, WCBD News 2 reported.

Monopoly drop thimble from classic game

A

Monopoly fans voted on the eight tokens (gold are the new ones; classic tokens are in silver) they want to see in the next generation of the classic boardgame

fter voters gave a thumbs-down to the thimble, one of the original pieces of Hasbro’s Monopoly game, the company will no longer feature the now-hated pawn, in existence in the game since 1935.

A thimble is used in sewing. The metal device covers the top of a finger to protect it from the sewing needle.

The thimble is not the first classic piece to be removed from the game. In 2013, a vote carried out on Facebook resulted in a rep-

resentation of a cat replacing the iron playing piece.

In the recent vote, fans of the game were asked to choose their eight favourite game pieces from a group that included the current eight, along with 56 possible new pieces.

Those new pieces include a stopwatch, a fish, a television, a truck, a rabbit, a trumpet and a dinosaur. Proposed new game pieces include representations of an emoji, hashtag and rubber duck.

According to cnet, the thimble's axing is most

likely the result of changing times and the onward march of technology. Nowadays, most people just toss out clothes rather than learn to sew and repair them.

Hasbro will announce the eight winning game pieces in March. Those pieces will be available starting in August. The Associated Press news service reports that Hasbro is trying to make the game more meaningful to a younger audience.

24

Sunday Times Magazine

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FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Fun Times

Archie

A personal agreement ARIES will open new emotional, fi(March 21- nancial and professional posApril 19) sibilities for you. Love and romance are featured, along with a positive lifestyle change. Expand your mind and your interests.

Get together with people TAURUS who add to your happiness.

(April 20- Doing things with children May 20) or a good friend or taking part in a retreat geared toward promoting awareness will add to your growth.

Reach for the stars. Set perGEMINI sonal goals and don't slow down (May 21until you are satisfied. Make a June 20) commitment to settle down and make improvements to your lifestyle.

CANCER (June 21July 22)

LEO (July 23Aug. 22)

Dilbert

VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)

Don't overdo it. Trying to impress someone with what you have will be a waste of time. Stay focused on offering help and suggestions, not on trying to buy acceptance.

Make a commitment.

Choose to be a part of something big. Indulge in what makes you happy and brings you greater satisfaction.

Choose to conquer your fears and achieve your goals.

You'll face opposition at home if you refuse to compromise. Relationships take work and cooperation from everyone involved. Don't be the one to cause problems when you can be the one to resolve them.

LIBRA Partnerships and relation(Sept. 23- ships with the people who Oct. 23) make your world go around are highlighted. Make a commitment that will lead to greater stability and long-term security. Romance is featured.

Peanuts

Deception regarding how SCORPIO (Oct. 24- the family finances are being Nov. 22) used will come as a surprise.

Do your best to find a solution without getting into an argument about bad choices.

Emotional deception when SAGITTARIUS dealing with outsiders is ap(Nov. 23parent. Spend time with and Dec. 21) rely on people you know you can trust to help you improve your life.

Calvin and Hobbes

Avoid situations that CAPRICORN require drastic measures.

(Dec. 22- Impulsive actions will not Jan. 19) serve you well. Be prepared to walk away from anyone or anything that makes you feel uncertain.

On your mark, get set, AQUARIUS go! Don't look back or hesi(Jan. 20- tate. Make your move with Feb. 19) confidence in order to accomplish everything you set out to do. Personal improvement can be done.

Emotional situations will PISCES (Feb. 20- put you in a precarious posiMar. 20) tion. Don't feel that you must prove anything to anyone.

Stick to your own devices and avoid interference and peer pressure.